MEYER AND EBERT STORY SOON TO BE A FEATURE FILM

Mark Amin’s Sobini Films is partnering with David Permut’s Permut Presentations and Richard Waltzer’s Chautauqua Entertainment to acquire RUSS & ROGER GO BEYOND, a screenplay written by Emmy winner Christopher Cluess (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE SIMPSONS) based on the true story of the unique relationship between provocative filmmaker Russ Meyer and legendary critic Roger Ebert while they made BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS at 20th Century Fox. Meyer and Ebert remained friends until Meyer passed away in September 2004. Ebert passed away earlier this year after a long public battle with cancer. Last month the Toronto International Film Festival’s opening night paid tribute to Roger Ebert’s life and career.

At the end of the 60’s when films like EASY RIDER and BONNIE & CLYDE were reaching new audiences, Meyer, the outlaw director of soft-core pulp films like FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL, KILL, KILL was given the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of directing a studio film by Richard Zanuck, then head of 20th Century Fox. The studio was struggling with a string of big budget failures and Zanuck thought Meyer was the solution. He offered him BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and Meyer agreed on the condition that Ebert, then the third string film critic for the Chicago Sun Times (who had written one of the few positive reviews of his work) would write the script. BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS became a struggle between the outsider filmmakers and the establishment studio’s board of directors, particularly over the film’s rating. Meyer, Ebert and Zanuck were ultimately vindicated when BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS was released in 1970 to huge box office success.

Sobini Films recently finished shooting period thriller ELIZA GRAVES directed by Brad Anderson and starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine. Sobini’s upcoming projects include A MOMENT TO REMEMBER, a remake of the hit Korean drama by the same name with Ben Lewin (THE SESSIONS) directing and a futuristic reboot of the Zorro franchise.